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(No'ModeL) L. A. COPELAND. STREET RAILWAY SWITCH.

Patented Nov. 11, 1890.

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UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFIQE.

LEWIS A. COPELAND, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

STREET-RAI LWAY SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,305, dated November 11, 1890.

Application filed March 18, 1890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIs A. COPELAND, of the city and county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Street-Railway Switches; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention has reference to an improvement in mechanism for operating the switches on street-railways where branch tracks intersect the main track; and it consists in the peculiar and novel construction more fully set forth hereinafter.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the main track and the intersection of a branch track, showing also the switch-operating device. Fig. 2 is a similar plan view showing a modified form of the operating-levers. Fig. 3 is a crosssection of the track and operating device.

In street-railways the switches at the junction of the main line and branches are usually provided with a hinged tongue, which is moved against the inner rail of the main line to guide the wheels of the car into the branch track and then move back against the branch rail to form a continuation of the main rail.

The object of this invention is to supply a simple and eifective device by which the tongue may be moved from one position to the other by the driver of the car.

Similar numbers of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, the number 5 indicates the rails of the main track; 6, the hinged tongue of the branch switch; 7, the point of the branch switch; 8, arod sliding in a groove formed in the bed-plate of the switch and connected with the hinged tongue 6 by the pin 9, which enters a hole in the under side of the tongue. The opposite end of the rod 8 enters the tubular connectin g-sleeve 10, and is provided at its end with the pin 11, which projects through a slot in the sleeve 10. The coiled spring 12 surrounds the rod 8 and bears against the pin 11. In the opposite end of the tubular sleeve 10 the rod 13, provided with the pin 14, extending into a slot in the tubular sleeve 10 is surrounded by the coiled spring 15. The outer end of the rod 13 is Serial No. 344,351. (No model.)

pivotally connected with the arm 16, which is secured to the shaft 17. The coiled springs 12 and 15 are sufficiently rigid to overcome any ordinary resistance to the moving of the hinged tongue 6such as dust, mud, and frictionbut will yield when any solid or hard matter is placed between the tongue and the rail.

The numbers 18 and 19 indicate operatin plates. They are connected with the shaft 17 by means of the arms or brackets 20. These brackets consist of a sleeve surrounding the shaft 17, the wings or brackets 20 and the curved longitudinal rib 21. By depressing the plate 18 the shaft is partially turned. The arm 16, through the rods 8 and 13, draws the hinged tongue against the inner rail, thus opening the switch and guiding the car into the branch track, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When now the plate 19 is depressed, the shaft 17 turns in the opposite direction, and through the arms 16 and rods Sand 13 moves the point of the hinged tongue 6 against the outer rail behind the shoulder 22, closes the inlet to the branch line, and forms a continuation of the main rail 5. The road-bed is provided with suitable openings in which the bracket 20 can be depressed. As the motion is very slight, only a slight depression is required.

The operation is as follows: When a car arrives near a turn-out or branch track which is open, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the car is not to enter the said branch, then the driver depresses the plate 19 and by closing the branch continues on the main track. If the driver finds the branch closed, and the car is to enter the branch track, then the driver depresses the plate 18 and thereby opens the branch track by moving the tongue into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The plates 18 and 19 may be placed, as is shown in Fig. 1, one in advance of the other, or they may be placed side by side, as is shown in Fig. 2. The driver may operate the plates by guiding the horses, so that the proper plate will be depressed by one of the horses, or the plates may be operated in any other manner. By reason o'f the yielding-spring connection between the tongue 6 and the arm 16, in case of a solid obstruction being between the tongue and the rail, the apparatus will not be injured, as would be the case if all the connections were rigid.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a street-railway switch, the combination, with the hinged tongue 6, of the rods 8 and 13, the sleeve 10, the spiral springs 12 and 15, the arm 16, shaft 17, and the plates 18 and 19, secured to the shaft by the brackets 20, constructed to operate the switch, as described.

2. The herein-described switch-operating device for street-railways, the same consisting of a shaft supported in bearings and placed longitudinally between the two rails below LEWIS A. COPELAND.

Witnesses:

M. F. BLIGH, J. A. MILLER, Jr. 

